WhatsApp has officially closed a significant security loophole that was discovered by researchers. The vulnerability permitted the collection of user data across the platform, affecting a reported 3.5 billion accounts. The messaging service, a subsidiary of Meta, has since implemented a patch to address the issue and prevent further data exposure through this specific method.

The action from WhatsApp came after security researchers identified and reported the flaw. This vulnerability specifically allowed them to collect data associated with user accounts. The nature of the collected data was a direct result of the loophole’s function within the application’s infrastructure.

Details of the Security Vulnerability

The security issue was a loophole within WhatsApp’s system that researchers were able to leverage. Their findings confirmed that it was possible to systematically gather data from a vast number of the platform’s user accounts. The scale of the exposure was extensive, with the researchers’ work indicating that up to 3.5 billion accounts were impacted by this specific flaw. The discovery was a direct result of their investigation into the application’s security protocols.

WhatsApp’s Response and Remediation

In response to the researchers’ findings, WhatsApp’s engineering team developed and deployed a patch. The company has confirmed that this loophole is now closed. The fix directly addresses the mechanism that allowed the unauthorized data collection to occur. This remediation effort was aimed at securing the affected user accounts and reinforcing the platform’s data protection measures against this identified threat.